Suwandi leads Indonesia past China's great wall

JAKARTA (JP): Suwandi made amends for his loss in the opening day of the Davis Cup duel against China with nearly flawless play, which saved Indonesia from relegation on Sunday.

The Indonesian first singles player conceded only three games in his 6-3, 6-0, 6-0 drubbing of Zhang Yu that gave his team an unassailable 3-1 lead, before Peter Handoyo completed the day by beating Zhu Ben-Qiang 6-4, 4-6, 6-4 in the indecisive final match for a 4-1 overall score.

It was a deservedly memorable Davis Cup debut for Peter, who remained unbeaten after winning his opening match on Saturday.

Following his decisive win, Suwandi made a victory lap around the hardcourt inside the Kemayoran Tennis Complex in Central Jakarta, waving a national flag.

The final results mean Indonesia stays in Asia Oceania Zone Group One while China is relegated to Group Two.

Suwandi, who had looked to avenge the defeat he suffered from Zhu Ben-Qiang, took to the court with his mind set for some tough opposition from Zhang, who shouldered a must-win mission after Indonesia led 2-1, courtesy of Bonit Wiryawan/Sulistyo Wibowo's doubles victory on Saturday.

However, Zhang did not live up to expectations, not only from his team but also from the sparse number of spectators, who had predicted a do-or-die challenge.

Apart from his speedy serves -- he sank six aces against Suwandi's four -- Zhang was never really in control throughout the game.

With his accurate placing of the ball, Suwandi adopted a tactic of forcing a rally of backhand drives before landing his punishing forehands. In contrast, Zhang was prone to committing low or weak returns into the net when placed under pressure.

The Indonesian did not give his foe a break. After allowing his opponent only three games in the opening set, Suwandi grew in strength to keep the Chinese player reeling in the following two.

"I pushed him all the way, not giving him a chance to build up his game," Suwandi told a post-match conference.

Suwandi rejected any idea that his opponent had turned a lame duck. "I don't think so. The (game-to-game) points were tight. Fortunately, I always won the crucial points," he said.

Tintus Ari Wibowo, the Indonesian team's non-playing captain, said Suwandi had attempted to avoid losing his focus. "He charged early on and never looked back. Had he loosened his grip, it might have been a turning point," he said.

Both Suwandi and Tintus agreed that the doubles victory, which saw a comeback from the Indonesian pair, had proved significant for Sunday's play.

From the other side, Zhang admitted to being under psychological pressure. "That's right. I was under pressure after the loss yesterday. This game was very important for us, which I was supposed to have won," an interpreter quoted Zhang as saying.

His spirit deserting him, Zhang said that Suwandi had played a good game, benefiting from the nature of the surface, which he said favored the host players.

In the final match, Peter Handoyo denied the Chinese a consolation victory.

"I'm very happy with my performance. I had been wanting to win either game. The fact that I could take both is very nice for me to savor," Peter said. (01)